Heya people! So next chapter is up…for those who were hoping a Red John thing, well sorry, I didn't feel like introducing him in this story :P (poor villain, give him some rest :D). hope you'll still like the alternative :3
Thanks to : TheHongkonger; Jisbonforever; Ashtreerose; Mental-Fan; InMyVeins (hee you leave a review, I thank you for it :D –well…when I don't forget uu"); watchyouwalk; PriscilaOrglene, 24Mentalistlover; leelou09; 1832TeaQL; Jisbon4ever for their reviews ! Thanks for the alerts and favourite too!
And thanks to my half-beta :D
Disclaimer: only Kausner and Katharine are mine :3
Sweet Fifteens 8
Consultant and scientist were in the CBI office within minutes. The team was reunited around a desk, pointing out places on the map before Cho spotted them.
"How do you know it's Harrison?" Kausner asked immediately, resting his hands on the table and leaning forward. Jane recognized the feeling in the depth of the inventor's eyes. Anger. Thirst, desire to hunt and revenge.
"Boss identified him when he got a hold on her. She had interviewed him after O'Brian's death" Rigsby replied. "He was in a hurry when he put her in the trunk and forgot to take her cell phone."
"Do we know where he is now?" Jane asked urgently. Van Pelt shook her head.
"He went off-radar soon after his brother was found dead, remember?"
The blond man groaned in frustration and shook his head:
"You have no idea where he could have gone?"
"We still have a list of people to interview" Rigsby said, standing up with a list on which names and addresses were written down. "Van Pelt and I were going to…"
"I'll go with you" Jane interrupted immediately. "We'll gain more time if I interrogate them personally. Grace can go with Cho."
"I'll come too" Kausner offered.
"I'm sorry Mr Kausner, bout you're a civilian" Cho replied immediately. "I cannot take you with us."
The inventor opened his mouth to protest but Jane sent him a look with a clear message. Sighing reluctantly, the man returned home, but not before making the consultant promise to keep him informed on the situation. Soon after, they were gone on the road, parting ways.
-SF-
Useless. Those interviews were useless, Jane thought. Every person they met had nothing to do with the abduction and knew nothing about it; and he was just getting angrier. A whole evening, morning and afternoon had passed and they were no closer to find a trace of Harrison than they were the former evening. Hope had come up when they had eventually managed to find the man's last residence –thanks to Jane hypnotising his closest 'friend'; but the full search gave up nothing. Rigsby even had to kick him out, for Jane was making too much of a mess, turning the various rooms upside down. They did find evidence of Harrison O'Brian drowning in debts –so motive- and remains of the gas that had poisoned his brother. They had clear evidence to prove the man was guilty, now they needed to catch him.
What bothered Jane the most though, was they still didn't have a contact from the man. Why kidnap Lisbon if he knew they were coming after him? Did he want to use her as a sort of leverage or something? In this case did it mean he needed to stay in Sacramento a little bit longer? For what reasons?
Jane's phone rang. He immediately picked up without checking the caller's ID. To his great disappointment, it was Kausner.
"Sorry to bother you Patrick but…"
"No we didn't find her yet" As much as the mentalist was touched to know the man cared about the research, he was tired of answering every two hours nothing had changed. "And sincerely, Michel, it's not exactly the mo…"
"Just listen to me all right?" the inventor interrupted. "I've done a bit of memory search about what Jon told me when he was a kid and stuff and he and Harrison use to play at various places around Sacramento."
"And?" Jane asked impatiently.
"And there's a warehouse a little bit out of town located south. Harrison always hid there when he had problem with the police. Jon was the one bringing him food" then he added bitterly. "Should have left that bastard die."
Jane didn't allow himself to hope yet. What he needed was a location, and if Kausner managed to give him the right one…
"Cho" he called, tearing his ear from the phone. "I think we might have somewhere else to look."
-SF-
Jane was in the SUV when they stopped in front of the set of warehouses. The team clearly instructed him to stay back and for once, he was going to obey. Entering that abandoned building was one of his dearest wishes right now, but he knew it would be better to wait; safer for Lisbon if he stayed out of the confrontation. So he did what he usually hated; he stood in the backseat, next to the few remaining agents, and only tried to peek over the men's shoulders. The SWAT had been in for five long minutes before they walked out. In between there had been no gunshots, just shouts and loud warnings. Then, a terrifying silent minute.
When the first man walked out, he signalled everything was secured. Two others stepped away, firearms steady in their arms, followed by Rigsby holding a familiar-looking man by the arm. So Kausner was right, he thought with relief, Harrison O'Brian was there. Lisbon should have been coming out soon then. A few moments later, it was Cho's turn to appear, a defeated expression on his face.
"There's nothing around" he said to Jane when he came to take out his bulletproof vest. "They found him trying to sneak out by the back door, but he was alone. Van Pelt and others are still looking but…"
His heart sank when the redhead stepped out in turn and shook her head miserably. They had looked everywhere. Lisbon wasn't there.
Another day passed and no matter how precise the researches were, they couldn't find a trace of the young woman. Jane's patience was starting to wear thin; each time his colleagues ended another possibility, he couldn't help but wonder if they had missed something.
They had first tried to make O'Brian confess where Lisbon was located, but he kept his mouth shut. Even Jane had tried to make him talk with no success. Cho did not want him around O'Brian anymore, for he was sure that for lack of answers, he would beat the man until he had something. And that was very likely to happen if the consultant was allowed five minutes in the interrogation room alone with the suspect. Jane was not a fighter, but he did know where to hit so it hurt. Especially when Lisbon was involved. So when, at the end of the first day, the Asian man came with a bothered face out of another interview with O'Brien, he knew it couldn't be good news.
"He wants to make a deal?" both Jane and Kausner shouted, outraged. Cho nodded reluctantly.
"Guess we don't have much choice" the Asian man muttered. "Lisbon has been out of water and food for at least two days, probably confined and left in the dark. She won't last long."
"No way!" "You're kidding me!"
Both spoke again at the same time. At the stern look on the agent's face, the consultant clenched his fists in anger. He wasn't the only one fuming. The inventor was livid, for the man had killed his only remaining friend; and was certainly feeling guilty since the woman was in weaker position because of him. One thing was sure; none of them was going to drop it.
"Give me one more day" Jane pleaded. "If in twenty four hours I haven't found Teresa, then make a deal with him. But I still…"
"Lisbon's life is on edge, and you want to keep O'Brian until you find her?"
"He does not deserve a deal" the inventor jumped in. "He killed my best friend and kidnapped a teenager! Give us twelve hours if you don't take twenty four, but I swear if he gets off with a lower sentence because of that, I'm going to strangle him with my hands!"
Cho shook his head tiredly. He didn't need a Jane-b set on revenge now.
"Death threats won't work, Mr. Kausner."
"Twelve hours" the inventor negotiated then grimly. "The time we're spending here arguing plays in his favour. Twelve hours that's all I ask."
The Asian man breathed deeply before replying:
"Eight hours. Not a minute more."
Kausner nodded his thanks and headed outside, Jane following closely behind.
-SF-
The cups of tea were almost cold, but none of the two men cared.
"Where could she be?" Jane mused, thinking out loud. The odds of finding her within eight hours were slim, but he was not Patrick Jane for nothing. And he was not alone. Kausner was doing some memory research, sitting on his couch, eyes closed. For what the gamble was worth, Jane hoped sincerely the inventor could help. The information given by Van Pelt was far insufficient and knowing Harrison's personality, he would have not hid Lisbon somewhere accessible. Hightower and Cho had sent a few units to search to the most likely places, but he knew better. He had looked in the man's eyes and seen he would not give up Lisbon's location before his sentence was lightened.
Going through a map while trying to get in the psycho's mind was not useful so far…
"I… I think I know where Teresa is!" the inventor suddenly shouted, jumping off his chair.
Jane was on his feet in seconds, maps of town immediately forgotten.
"Where?"
Kausner narrowed his eyes somewhere in front of him, concentrating while talking:
"When I first met Jon, he asked me for some hideout in basement. He had good taste in wines and didn't want his wife to find the bottles...they're kind of expensive you see and she had a tendency to spend her money easily...Anyway the only one who knew aside from us both was Harrison, because he helped me build it."
Jane blinked.
"You think Lisbon is in Jonathan O'Brian's basement?"
"It's the only place I can think of" Kausner replied. "It's large enough to put… maybe five to six people. W… we gotta go check now!"
The two men stormed out of Kausner's house, jumped in Jane's car. While the inventor called Cho for backup, Jane pulverized speeds limits and they reached the O'Brian household in record time. Without taking time to park correctly, the blond man stopped the Citroen and both ran out of it, climbing the front stairs in no-time. Kausner knocked hurriedly at the door and waited. A brown-haired woman, dressed in black from top to bottom, opened. Her face froze when she recognized them.
"Michel" O'Brian's widow greeted coldly. Confirming Jane's thought; they really didn't like each other.
"Katharine" the inventor replied as coolly. "I will be straightforward. Mr. Jane from the CBI and I believe Harrison had locked a teenager in your basement, in a hideout I built for Jonathan years ago. If I am right, she had been in there for three whole days. We need to go in now."
The widow widened her eyes in surprise. She glanced at Jane, as if waiting for a denial. But in front of his straight face, she bit her lower lip.
"I… I don't… my house is not decent…"
"A girl's life is at stake and all you worry about is your house's state!" Kausner suddenly barked. "I swear Kath, I'm sick tired of your mannerisms and pointless need for cleaning! Just take that stick off your ass and let us in!" O'Brian hung her jaw low in front of his outburst. Without waiting for a coherent answer, the inventor pushed the door open and Jane followed, dropping a quick 'thank you' on the way. The blond man didn't understand how calm he was, when Kausner was on verge of exploding. He buried that thought in the back of his mind and followed the inventor to the door leading to the basement.
"There it is" Kausner whispered, staring at the wall. Jane frowned over his shoulder. This was it? All he could see was a wall…
"Are you sure?" he asked, sceptical. Kausner nodded and knocked on it. Jane's eyes widened when he heard the faint echo. There was a door somewhere.
"Let me" the inventor ordered as he brushed the walls, searching for something. His fingers suddenly stilled and he traced the borders of a triangle. "There it is… step aside Patrick."
He gave three loud punches on the spot he had traced.
To his utter surprise, the contours of a door drew in the dust and a trap creaked while opening. A soft blow of wind, carrying the smells of old and rust, hit them fully. The faint light of the blinking bulb allowed him to distinguish the contours of the dark room. Shelves on the right were bearing lines of bottles of wine covered with dust. On the left, a small desk covered with a few sheets of papers and in the background…
Suddenly, he spotted her. She was lying on a dirty mattress, hands tied in her back and shoes bonded too, facing the wall. Jane didn't waste a second more and hurried inside. He noticed the tension in her shoulders when she heard him approach and realised he hadn't spoken yet:
"Teresa, it's me."
Behind him, he heard Kausner taking out his cell phone to call Cho once more and Katharine yelping in surprise and horror. The shock she expressed was genuine, so after hearing a quick conversation between her and Michel, Jane was sure he could eliminate the widow from being an accomplice in the abducing. His attention was brought back to Lisbon when she started to struggle. She was blindfolded and gagged. He pulled down the clothes covering her mouth and hiding her face. She blinked a few times at the sudden light and cough when air went through her now free lips
"Jane?" she uttered, her voice rasped from the lack of use.
"Give me a second and stop moving, I'm trying to untie you" he replied, not even trying to hide the trembling of his voice. He didn't care how he sounded. She was here, he found her, and she was going to be safe. That's all that mattered.
As soon as her wrists were free, she tried to straighten on her elbows. Her eyes were shining with tears of fear and relief, and once she recognized him for good, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Jane held her tight, rubbing her back and deciding to ignore the shaking of her whole body. He knew without her saying that she had been terrified.
"Patrick?" the inventor called out from outside the door. "How is she?"
"In shock" he replied truthfully. The teenager didn't even bother to argue with him. "Too thin" he added, noticing how easy it was for him to feel her ribs with his hand. There were no sign of a plate or remaining of food or water around. Just… dust, and dirt and… was that blood on the mattress? He pulled back immediately from her embrace and examined her head quickly. Lisbon's eyes were half closed already and only then he noticed the small dripping of a crimson liquid on the left side of her face.
"It's kinda fuzzy around Jane" she started, her voice becoming fainter already.
"Wound to the head" he added as calmly and quickly as he could to Kausner. "Call 911 and make them move here fast or I swear…"
"Don't shout" Lisbon mumbled, shutting her lids and resting against him. "T's loud."
"Lisbon?"
She didn't answer.
I know, this one was short…2 chapters left now.
Thanks for reading so far :D